The cord-cutting era is here! We’re officially in the age where streaming services have changed the course of television and how content is delivered worldwide. According to a survey, 2023 was the first year non-pay TV households stood at 68.7 million vs traditional cable at 62.8 million, outnumbering cable connections for the first time in the United States. Broadcast and cable fell below 50% of all TV usage, and Statista revealed that in 2023, 88% of U.S. households owned at least one internet-connected TV device. The number of CTV users totalled more than 110 million among Gen Z and Millennials.
CTV refers to the device that delivers streaming content, a rapidly growing market with increasing popularity. The past years have seen a growing cord-cutting trend, as people are canceling traditional cable and switching to streaming services. Connected TVs have become the most sought-after and popular choice among the masses as they offer a vast library of content beyond traditional channels, the freedom to browse in one's own time, and choose content that aligns with one’s interests.
Connected TVs give users on-demand access to streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max which stream movies, TV shows, documentaries, and even live programs. Flexibility, content diversity, convenience, and overall experience are among the top reasons why people increasingly turn to Connected TV.
The change in trend and massive viewership have naturally garnered the attention of advertisers too. Brands want to display their ads where their audiences are, and today, CTV advertising has gained a top spot. CTV advertising allows brands to reach this growing audience base by offering far superior audience targeting capabilities, higher engagement rates, deeper insights, and measurable results.
How to choose the right CTV partner for your brand
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Inventory quality
Advertisers need to be mindful of the quality of the inventory and its relevance to their brand and audience. Brands need to target their audience effectively and avoid irrelevant placements. Rather than choosing any CTV partner based on demographics or audience types, the focus should be contextual relevance. Placing ads that align with the content audiences are engaging which ensures better engagement.
Brands must also know what type of content will accompany the CTV ads. While CTV ads can be placed across various platforms, the inventory must comprise premium and professionally produced content to attract the right audience and capture their attention. The right CTV partner helps advertisers place ads alongside content the audience trusts, thus going beyond just engagement, elevating brand credibility, and increasing brand loyalty.
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Brand safety and brand suitability
As advertisers unlock CTV inventory, it is important to ensure ad messaging and placement are optimal. Ads appearing alongside content that is offensive or harmful can have a negative impact on a brand's reputation. Advertisers must pick CTV partners who provide tried and tested brand safety expertise and contextual relevance to suit the brand’s values, messaging, and positioning.
Many CTV partners analyze metadata like the descriptions of CTV videos and titles to determine safety and relevance. It’s crucial to go beyond just metadata and analyze the full content of a video to assess safety and suitability. Brands must gain a complete understanding of a video’s suitability before finalizing a campaign or any ad placement.
- Reporting capabilities
Like any advertising campaign, understanding performance in-depth for attribution measurement is critical for advertisers. When picking a CTV partner, brands must analyze what metrics will be accessible to measure the impact of CTV ads. Transparency of campaign performance and reporting is critical to evaluate ROI.
How did the target audience engage with the brand after viewing an ad, what was the viewer intent and how did the ad impact this journey, what action did they take after viewing the ad, etc. are key metrics that advertisers must have access to. Brands must ensure real-time reporting and insights into metrics like impressions, reach, completion rates, and frequency for transparency.
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Introducing Contextual TV by Seedtag
Seedtag’s latest offering for the Connected TV ecosystem, Contextual TV aims to extend our contextual expertise to enable brands to activate strong CTV campaigns with precise targeting capabilities that go beyond the standard targeting practices.
CTV has now become one of the most effective ways to target audiences, especially the new generations like the Millenials and Gen Z, who have cut the cord. For over a decade, we at Seedtag have been empowering brands to effectively connect with their audiences using our unmatched technology that provides superior targeting capabilities and user understanding.
With Contextual TV, brands can now leverage open web benefits for the big screen, eliminating today’s limitations of targeting precision and reporting in the CTV advertising landscape.
- Combining the Open Web with Connected TV empowers brands to explore, uncover untapped opportunities, and engage with the right audience at the right time with the right message.
- Comprehensive reporting options to ensure you truly understand the effectiveness of your campaigns.
- Engaging creatives that garner audience attention.
Are you ready to explore new-age Connected TV advertising with us?
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